Taiwan News Quick Take

Staff writer, with CNA

NATIONAL DEFENSE

Government denies reshuffle

The Presidential Office yesterday denied that any reshuffle of senior military personnel would take place in the near future. The Chinese-language China Times reported that some senior positions would soon be reshuffled, with former chief of the general staff General Lin Chen-yi (林鎮夷) to replace Kao Hua-chu (高華柱) as minister of national defense. It also cited unidentified sources as saying that Kao would be reassigned as the representative to an unidentified European country. The report also said that Navy Commander Admiral Tung Hsiang-lung would swap positions with Deputy Chief of the General Staff Executive Officer Admiral Chen Yung-kang (陳永康). Presidential Office spokesperson Lee Chia-fei (李佳霏) denied said the report was speculation.

HEALTH

Food test alliance planned

Food industry officials said on Wednesday that they would set up a testing alliance in a bid to restore consumer confidence as the industry grapples with a string of food scares. Wei Ying-chun (魏應充), chairman of Wei Chuan Foods Corp and the Taiwan Food GMP Development Association, said that about 47 food suppliers would establish a testing alliance to share laboratory resources. Uni-President Enterprises Co urged the government to require all food additive suppliers to register online to help the industry filter out uncertified suppliers. The legislature last month passed a revision to the Act Governing Food Sanitation (食品衛生管理法) that increases penalties for suppliers using industrial-grade starch, as well as requiring domestic food suppliers to register online in a bid for more transparent information and better food source management.